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UWS Week IX Roundup: West Conference

07/11/2017, 12:00pm EDT
By Admin

Santa Clarita stays unbeaten; Calgary wraps up 2nd place

CALGARY FOOTHILLS WOMEN’S FC 4, HOUSTON ACES 1

CALGARY, AB - In a matchup pitting two organizations looking to finish the 2017 campaign in style - and, even more important, in second place in the West Conference - Calgary Foothills Women’s FC hosted the Houston Aces in their regular season finale at home on Saturday night. Houston (2-4 West) scored first but Calgary (4-3-1 West) scored late, specifically with four unanswered goals in the final 15 minutes of the game en route to a 4-1 win at Mount Royal University. Midfielder Kara Thompson came off the bench and had a hand in each CFWFC goal, notching three goals and an assist while goalkeeper Emily Burns (eight saves) was the #1 star for the home side. With the victory, Calgary finishes in second place in the West in their first-ever season at the pro-am level and awaits word on the wild card seed in the UWS National Championship (July 21-22) in Grandville, MI.

The opening of the match was dominated by the visitors with Burns making some big saves to keep the score level. Houston made the breakthrough in the 28th minute after a defensive mistake was punished by forward Stephanie Garcia. Calgary Head Coach Troye Flannery changed things in the 41st minute, substituting in Thompson which proved to be the difference. In the second half, the hosts pressured from the outset and were awarded for it in the 75th minute. The veteran midfielder had a shot saved by Aces keeper Maddy Talbot (three saves) but forward Joelle Gosselin was able to convert from close range for her team-leading seventh goal. Two minutes later, Thompson scored her first of the night to give the Hoops the lead after a composed finish and added goals in the 83rd minute (penalty kick) and 87th minutes to cement the victory.

SANTA CLARITA BLUE HEAT 2, SO CAL CRUSH FC 1

SANTA CLARITA, CA - While the Santa Clarita Blue Heat have already wrapped up the West Conference title, they still need to stay focused as the team builds up to defend their 2016 UWS Championship in a couple weeks in Grandville, MI. Last Friday night at The Master’s University, Santa Clarita (7-0 West) got the best of both worlds as they were tested by So Cal Crush FC (1-6 West) in their home finale but also won the match by a 2-1 score. Blue Heat midfielder Deyna Castellanos continued her strong play this season, tallying both goals including a mind-bender from 35 yards out in the second half that was good enough for the eventual game-winning goal. So Cal goalkeeper Adriana Maldonado (12 saves) single-handedly held off the Santa Clarita offense while Ryann Torrero made three saves for the hosts.

On a hot night in the Los Angeles-area, the Blue Heat came out of the gates on the front foot with Castellanos getting on the stat sheet with her first of the night on an assist from fellow Florida State University star Emily Madril. The home side kept up the pressure as forward Chandra Eigenberger forced an astute save from Maldonado in the 25th minute. The score remained at 1-0 in favor of Santa Clarita until the 72nd minute, when the Venezuelan international chipped her shot from distance past the Crush FC keeper for one of the top goals in UWS this season. Former Blue Heat defender Sydney Vermillion pulled one back for the visitors four minutes later, but they could not notch the equalizer. Both teams will travel to Houston this upcoming weekend for the last two regular season games in conference play. 

About United Women’s Soccer (UWS): UWS is a national women’s soccer league sanctioned by U.S. Soccer through the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA). UWS is a professionally operated league created for teams that meet high minimum standards. The season runs from May until the end of July, culminating in a National Championship match. The UWS player pool is comprised of college players, aspiring & former professionals and international stars. You can follow UWS on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Media can contact UWS Director of Communications Jorma Kansanen by e-mail at UWSPress@gmail.com. You can visit the league’s official website at UWSSoccer.com. Interested team applicants can contact League Commissioner Joe Ferrara, Jr. by e-mail at Joe@UWSSoccer.com.

Tag(s): News |   Santa Clarita Blue Heat  Foothills WFC  So Cal Crush